Inspired by the battle he watched his offensive coordinator go through with his rare disease diagnosis, the offensive lineman for the Wolfpack felt a call to action and founded the NC State Chapter of Uplifting Athletes in 2011. The connection with coach Dana Bible was so strong, the players wanted to do something to help others battling rare diseases and Wayne took the lead.
The opportunity to be a champion for the rare disease cause was important to Wayne and his teammates, but they didn’t know what to do. Finding Uplifting Athletes and starting a chapter was an ideal way to show their coach what he meant to them and to help others as well. Wayne called it a “blessing.”
When Wayne started the NC State Chapter, his hope was that the chapter would become an integral part of the Wolfpack football program and continue well past his days as a student-athlete. The NC State Chapter is still going strong today and continues to serve the Rare Disease Community.
